November 10, 2006

Hoosier-state talky-talk

If there are any readers in Indianapolis, please consider yourselves invited to a panel discussion on the state of arts journalism Saturday evening, in which I'm taking part. (I'm the designated blogger, I think.) The discussion is part of the Spirit and Place festival which exerted a powerful influence on me some ten (gosh) years ago when I was a wet behind the ears undergraduate at Butler University.

I had read a few books by the time I started college, but even having dusted off a bit of Albert Murray, a few of Richard Ford's novels and a one of J. Anthony Lukas' transfixing works of long-form journalism, my mind would be opened further by falling into the orbits ever so briefly of Peter Matthiessen, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Keneally and many others. As you can probably tell, I'm pretty gosh-darned thankful to be taking a small part in this festival now.